Cheerios & Nerds Are A Tasty Combination
by Guyana Rose
Summary: Santana has a crush on Rachel, but she's too scared to ask her out; so Rachel decides to take matters into her own hands. Pezberry Week, Day 3: AU-Nerd!Santana & Popular!Rachel.


**Title:** Cheerios & Nerds Are A Tasty Combination  
**Author:** Guyana Rose  
**Rating:** K+  
**Pairing:** Santana Lopez & Rachel Berry  
**Word Count:** 1,874  
**Summary:** Santana has a crush on Rachel, but she's too scared to ask her out; so Rachel decides to take matters into her own hands. Pezberry Week, Day 3: AU-Nerd!Santana & Popular!Rachel.  
**Prompt:** Pezberry Week, Day 3: AU-Nerd!Santana & Popular!Rachel  
**Disclaimer:** I own only the story itself. Glee belongs to R.I.B.

**Please read & review  
**

* * *

There's about a half hour to kill before first period starts. Santana is leaning on a locker next to Mike as he gets the things he'll need for the first half of his day. They are having a conversation about possibly going to Comic Con in a few months when school is out, but she becomes distracted and stops talking mid-sentence.

She can't help but watch her. She finds the brunette captivating. Her soft brown eyes, pretty smile, luscious looking lips, thin but muscular frame, and legs that seem to go on for days under her Cheerio skirt. Yes, she finds Rachel to be very captivating. When Mike notices she has gone quiet he looks at her to see what is wrong. He chuckles to himself when he sees what has distracted her.

"Earth to Lopez," he says.

"What?"

"Why don't you just go talk to her?"

Santana sighs then turns her gaze back to the beauty, who is now across the hall at her locker talking to her friends, and sighs again while she shakes her head.

"I just can't do it Captain; I don't have the power."

Mike chuckles and rolls his eyes at his friend.

"The only thing stopping you is you. You do realize that right?"

"She's the most popular girl in school Mike. The only reason she even talks to us is because we're in Glee together. She's way out of my league."

"Come on let's hit the cafeteria," Mike says as he throws an arms across her shoulders to pull her away.

He happens to look back just as Santana turns her head away from Rachel and is surprised to see the popular girl staring in their direction. She seems to have her gaze focused on Santana's back. She turns away when she notices Mike watching her.

* * *

At lunch Santana goes through the line looking even more downtrodden than she had earlier in the day.

"What's eating you Gilbert Grape?" Artie asks as she sits down at their usual table.

"Nothing," she says as her eyes roam over to the popular kids' table and sees the football team's quarterback sitting next to the object of her affection.

Granted the pair had broken up over the summer, but Finn doesn't seem to want to let go. He continues to shower Rachel with gifts and sing stupid songs to her in Glee and it appears that maybe Rachel is beginning to let him back in. The one time Santana may possibly have a chance seems to be slipping away from her; and she does not like it. Artie spies who she is looking at and smiles.

"San, just ask her out. You might be surprised at her answer," the boy says.

"That's what I told her," Mike says as he sits down.

"Whatever," is Santana's only reply as she shoves her food around on her plate.

Artie just shakes his head and finishes his pudding. No matter what he or Mike say to encourage her, Santana never listens. He only keeps pushing because he knows something that Santana doesn't.

"Hey hot stuff."

Artie turns around when he hears Mercedes' voice behind him. He smiles brightly as she walks towards him. They'd begun a summer romance that he was quite happy to say was still going quite well. Mercedes is a Cheerio, just like Rachel; the tiny brunette's closest friend actually. That's why he has information that Santana is not privy too. Rachel has in fact had a crush on Santana for quite awhile. That's one of the reasons she broke up with Finn.

"Hey beautiful," he greets his girlfriend with a hug and kiss as she sits on his lap.

"Hey Santana."

"Hey Mercedes," Santana says with very little enthusiasm without looking up from her plate.

Mercedes looks back at the table she has just vacated. Rachel nods at her and leaves the cafeteria.

"Can I talk to you for a minute San?" Mercedes asks.

"I'm listening," Santana replies.

"In a more private setting perhaps."

"Huh, yeah sure let's go. Not really hungry anyway."

Mercedes kisses Artie once more and both girls say goodbye to their friends. When they get to the hallway, Mercedes starts walking in the direction of the choir room.

"What'd you need?" Santana asks.

"To get you away from everyone," Mercedes answers.

Santana stops walking and eyes the girl with suspicion.

"I'm offended," Mercedes says, "you know that's not my style."

"Sorry," Santana apologizes, "you just never know sometimes I guess."

"I understand; some of my squad is a bit much sometimes. But they haven't been bothering you lately have they? Because both me and Rachel read them the riot act about it; if they go near any of the Gleeks they'll get kicked off the squad."

"Really?" Santana asks with surprise, "why would you guys do that; for us?"

"Because you're our friends; and as you already know me and Artie got a sweet thing going on and I'll be damned if anybody messes with my Boo."

"I understand you protecting your boyfriend, but why the rest of us?"

"I'm not the only one that has a love interest in our group you know."

"You're the only one that I've seen."

"That's because you weren't looking. They're keeping it a bit hush hush right now, but Quinn and Tina have been dating for about a month now."

"Okay, I'll give you that. Definitely didn't see that."

"San, believe me when I say I have nothing against the resolute nerdiness of some of our club members; it's actually one of the things that makes Artie so cute to me. But you should maybe put the comics down every once in a while; you tend to miss things when your nose is constantly buried in a book."

"I really wasn't under the impression that there was much to see at this school. My goal is to graduate and run away to foreign lands and never look back."

"I feel you; but wouldn't it be better if you had someone to run away with?"

Mercedes stops and looks at the girl beside her once they reach the choir room.

"Doubt there's anyone here that would want to run away with me."

"Trust me, you're wrong about that. In," Mercedes nods her head towards the choir room.

Santana sighs and walks into the choir room. She sees her right away; sitting at the piano like she has done many times before. When she hears the door click behind her, her heart starts playing a very fast drum beat against her chest.

"Hey Santana," Rachel smiles.

"Hi," Santana whispers in reply. Her mouth and throat has gone dry.

"Will you sit with me?" Rachel asks as she straddles the piano bench so she can sit facing Santana.

"Ok," Santana says as she mirrors Rachel's position.

"I don't like mincing words, so I'll just say what I have to say; while I'm brave enough to say it," Rachel mumbles the last part of her sentence so Santana doesn't quite catch it.

"I'm listening."

"Okay," Rachel takes a breath and locks eyes with Santana, "I like you."

"What?" Santana asks confused.

"I know that may sound unbelievable but…"

"Is this some sort of game?" Santana cuts Rachel off.

"No it's not; just please listen."

When Santana stays quiet, Rachel takes that as her cue to continue.

"I've actually liked you for awhile. I just didn't really know how to deal with it. I just knew that when I looked at you … I felt everything that I was supposed to be feeling for my boyfriend. I got tired of pretending, that's why I broke up with him. And … I was hoping that maybe you'd want to go on a date with me … sometime soon."

Santana is speechless. Her eyes fall to her lap as the words echo in her mind. Rachel Berry wants to go out on a date with her. One thing that her grandmother had told her silenced Rachel's voice in her head. If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't something you want to be involved in. She can believe that Artie and Mercedes have a good relationship. But Rachel isn't Mercedes. She knew for a fact that Rachel had ordered many of the slushie facials she'd received freshman year. Many of the embarrassing and humiliating moments that she and the other non-popular Gleeks had been forced to endure were because of Rachel. How can she claim to not only like her, but want to date her? But on the other hand, Rachel had changed considerably last year; and looking in her eyes now, the brunette seems nothing but sincere.

"A-are … are you sure you want to do this? Because I really like you too and I couldn't handle it if this was some weird joke or something," Santana says.

Rachel smiles and slides closer to Santana. When their knees touch, she slides just a little closer; placing her legs over Santana's thighs. She leans in and kisses her.

Santana holds her breath as Rachel moves towards her. When their lips meet, she is sure there are explosions behind her eye lids. When she feels Rachel's tongue against her lips, she grants her entrance and delights in hearing the brunette moan as their kiss deepens. Upon feeling tiny fingers combing through her thick hair, she moves her hands to Rachel's waist and pulls her closer. They only separated when breathing becomes a necessity. Rachel rests her forehead against Santana's as they catch their breaths.

"Does that feel like I'm joking?" the brunette asks.

"No."

"Will you go out with me?"

"Try and stop me."

Rachel giggles and kisses her again.

Outside the choir room Mercedes and Quinn look through the tiny window in the door with smiles on their faces.

"I told her she didn't have any reason to be nervous," Quinn says.

"That you did. Come on, let's go get our own nerds and let these two get properly acquainted," Mercedes replies.

Both girls walk down the hall and turn the corner to find Tina and Artie waiting on them. Mercedes takes her seat on Artie's lap and Quinn melts into Tina's embrace as they make their way back to the cafeteria; happy in the knowledge that their friends have finally gotten together.


End file.
